"Yes," Sunny said with an understanding smile. "He said he was very busy.**
"I'm so glad you're here now," Holly broke in and smiled once again. Sunny found herself liking her more than ever.
"Mum," Holly went on, "May Sunny and I go to my room? Oh," the older girl stopped suddenly. "I can call you Sunny, can't I?**
"What else would you call me?** the younger girl asked, completely forgetting their relationship.
"Aunt Sunny," Chelsea supplied kindly and then turned to Holly. "If Sunny doesn't mind, it's fine with me.**
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"Diane and Louise call me Aunt Sunny," she said softly, obviously considering this for the first time. "But they're younger than I am."
Holly beamed again. "It's all settled then. We'll see you later," Holly called to the room in general, and then took Sunny by the arm and nearly dragged her from the room.
Rand and Chelsea exchanged grins and spoke quietly for a moment. Neither mother nor father noticed how quiet Miles had been during the entire exchange.
Holly's bedroom so fit her personality that Sunny felt like she knew her better just by walking over the threshold. It had begun to rain outside, but with pale pink draperies and bed hangings, the room was cheerful despite the lack of sun coming through the glass. The background of the wallpaper was pristine white with pink, green, and blue flowers and umbrellas.
Holly's bed sat in grand style on one wall, and two tall wardrobes sat opposite. A lovely white writing desk with a matching chair sat in the alcove of one window. A settee was angled into one corner, and in front of it sat a low table sporting a brass candleholder.
Holly's dressing table was a monstrous affair with a huge mirror hanging above. She also had a full-length freestanding mirror in dark wood, which contrasted sharply with the lighter furniture but was all the more striking because of it.
"Is that Grandmama Sunny's ring?" Holly asked, breaking Sunny out of her inspection of the room. Holly took her hand once again, and Sunny answered after she and Holly were settled on the bed.
Sunny's hand automatically went to her chain. "Yes. Brandon told me Heather sent it. He gave me the chain and the ring on my birthday."
This was simply the first of many questions Holly was to ask. As the time moved on Sunny answered each one, but there the conversation stopped. Sunny was so taken with her niece she hardly knew what to say. Holly didn't seem at all put out by the silences that cropped up when she ran out of questions, but Sunny, so wanting to be liked, felt strained each and every time.
"What kinds of things did you do in Darhabar? I mean, how did you spend your days?"
A curious look flitted over Sunny's face, and Holly felt alarmed.
"I'm sorry. Perhaps you'd rather not talk about it. I should have been more sensitive."
Sunny looked surprised. "It doesn't bother me to speak of it, but until you asked me I'd never given it much thought. I spent much of my time sneaking into the kitchens or the stables or the tower."
"Why did you have to sneak?"
"I was not to be in those areas. They were not as protected, and as the emir's daughter, I was in more danger. But I loved the kitchens and being with the horses, so I went anyway."
"Were you ever caught?"
"Of course," Sunny said matter-of-factly, "Punished also, but it was always worth it."
For the first time it was Holly's turn to be out of words. She stared at her aunt, seeing just how different they were. Holly hated to get into trouble and almost never made the same mistake twice. And the horses! The thought made her shudder.
"What do you usually do to keep busy?" Sunny asked, feeling very pleased with herself because she had just realized that she could send Holly's questions right back to her.
"Oh," Holly seemed pleased to be asked. "I love to paint, and I love to play the piano. Mother says I'm quite good, and my instructor comes two days a week in the wintertime. Oh," Holly went on, now warming to her subject. "I'm working on the most beautiful tapestry. Would you like to see it?"
"Yes."
With that small word, Holly took Sunny down the hallway, up one more flight of stairs, and into the upstairs salon. The room was empty, and Sunny's head was spinning with what she had seen of the mansion as she rushed along behind her niece.
"This is it," Holly spoke proudly as she displayed a beautiful tapestry for Sunny's inspection. Sunny took in the field scene with the perfect little trees bordering on the edge and a stream flowing through the middle. She bent low to look at the tiny handwork and turned to Holly.
"You're doing this with your own hands?"
"Of course. Haven't you ever done a tapestry, Sunny?"
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Sunny could only shake her head as she turned back to the beautiful work square. Holly was showing Sunny some of her mother's work when Binks came to the door.
"You have visitors, Lady Holly. Lord Kemp and Lord Taylor are in the blue parlor.**
"Thank you, Bulks," Holly spoke sedately, but nearly squealed when Binks shut the door.
"Did you hear that, Sunny? Brice Kemp and Victor Taylor are here." Again she had Sunny's hand and was taking her to the door and back along the hall and down the stairs. "We've got to freshen up and get down there to see them."
"Who are they?" Sunny finally asked as Holly shut her bedroom door behind them.
"Brice is29,"Holly replied, as though this explained everything, "and the best-looking fellow you'll ever hope to see. He was rather homely a few years ago, but he's been away and when he came back, oh my! Vic is cute too, but he is Miles* age," she finished dismissively.
Sunny still didn't understand what the fuss was about, but suddenly found herself under Holly's scrutiny. Holly came forward and fixed a stray curl at the back of Sunny's head and then put her hands on Sunny's face. She gave each cheek a little pinch.
"There, that will put a little color in your face. Other than that, you look great. I, on the other hand, must change this dress. Will you undo the back?"
Holly turned and Sunny obediently unhooked her. It seemed like hours before they left the room, and Sunny was certain that whoever had been here would now be gone. She couldn't have been more wrong. The two young men waiting for her stood when Holly walked into the blue salon and looked as though the answer to their every prayer had come true.
Sunny felt self-conscious when their eyes fell on her for the introductions, but it lasted only a moment before they were both once again looking at Holly. Indeed, she was wonderful to see. She had changed into a beautiful festive gown of green and gold, and had her hair artfully piled on top of her head. little ringlets hung around her face, making her large lovely eyes all the more catching.
But it wasn't her looks that really held Sunny's attention; it was her manner with the boys. It was obvious that she knew them well, and even though Holiy never intended to exclude Sunny, she did.
Sunny sat back and watched as Holly teased and laughed with the young men as though they had been friends for years. And as Sunny thought about it, she realized they probably had.
She found herself wishing she could be alone, but she didn't know how to leave. Nearly 30 minutes later Miles joined them, and Holly impulsively decided they needed to play a game. Before Sunny knew what was happening, she was at the round table by the window with seven cards in front of her.
Holly gave her quick instructions on the game, and they started playing. Sunny didn't have the foggiest notion of what she was doing. If she had been more aware, she would have noticed certain eyes on her. Brice studied her face and found himself wishing she were older. Vic's thoughts were that she was a bit dense because she had said so little all day and was taking forever to play her hand. Miles was fascinated by her beauty and poise, and after witnessing a brief look of confusion in her eyes, he was filled with compassion. Holly, who hadn't yet understood how well Sunny could hide her feelings, thought she was having a wonderful time.
The torturous ga
me had not gone on very long when the door to the parlor opened. Sunny didn't look behind her even when the others greeted Brandon. She felt his presence behind her, but still didn't move, even when his hand came over her shoulder and he played her next card. When the hand ended, he pulled her chair out, and spoke in smooth tones.
"Since you have four, I'm sure you'll forgive my stealing Sunny for a while."
Sunny nodded to the table in general as she stood, and Brandon saw her to the door. With a hand on her arm he took her to the door of the library. He started to knock, but Binks spotted them and spoke.
"Allow me, my lord." The servant opened the door, and after asking if they desired refreshment, left them in peace.
Sunny had not been in this room before, and for just a moment she let her gaze roam. It was twice a& large as Foster's library, holding more books than Sunny had ever seen. It would be a wonderful place to explore, but right now Sunny was hurting inside, feeling like an outsider and a fool. She told herself she was selfish as well and turned to Brandon.
"How is your grandfather?"
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"Holding his own very nicely. Thank you for asking. How ii Sunny?**1
The question, asked so lovingly, made Sunny want to cry. She! did not immediately answer. It seemed that all she did lately was] weep, and even the risk of being pinched did not stop her from taking time to compose herself. "I want to go home." "To Heather's?"
"No," Sunny answered before she thought. She had never intended to say that to anyone, and even though Brandon said nothing, she regretted her words. It had nothing to do with him or the rest of her family, but she didn't fit in and was certain her staying would never work. She was comfortable with her siblings, but she was the age of her niece. Brandon had warned her that it would not always be easy, but Sunny never dreamed it would be so painful.
Brandon had thought they would sit and talk, but Sunny began to meander about the room. He realized now that he had been selling her short. He had half-expected her to rail at him for his long absence, but it seemed she understood about his grandfather.
What hadn't occurred to him was that she wouldn't immediately fit in with Holly and Miles. He could tell the moment he'd walked in the room that she was having a miserable time with the game, and it was all too easy to guess that her time spent with Holly's friends had been a bit of a strain. From her earlier comment she had clearly convinced herself that she was never going to adjust.
Sunny was still walking around the room, not seeing much of anything, when Brandon retrieved something out of the cabinet on the wall and pulled two chairs up to a library table.
"Come here, Sunny," he said after he had taken a seat and begun to shuffle a deck of cards. Sunny approached but didn't sit down. "Have a seat; I'm going to teach you the game of whist." "Why?"
Brandon leveled her with a look. **So next time you'll know how to play."
Sunny looked back at him.So t&is is the way it's to be-no talk of going home.Sunny sat down slowly and picked up her hand.No mat' ter,she told herself.Ton knew he wouldn't have let you go anyway.
THE ENTIRE HOUSE STIRRED EARLY ON CHRISTMAS MORNING. Sunny
would have slept for several more hours, but Holly came bursting into her room wanting to know why she was still in bed. Sunny squinted at the dark beyond the window.
"It's dark out."
"I know. That's part of the fun."
Sunny stared at her niece. "You're not dressed."
"That's part of the fun too. See, I've got your dressing gown." Holly held up a pink satin garment. "Now put this on and let's get downstairs before we miss all the fun."
Still very fuzzy around the edges, Sunny did as she was bade, but as she slipped into her dressing gown and Holly tied her hair back with a ribbon, she was still trying to understand all the excitement. She knew the history behind the holiday but had always had the impression it was a time for children. Holly acted as though she thought she herself was getting gifts.
Holly hurried Sunny down the stairs and into the large salon. All vestiges of sleep evaporated when Sunny stepped over the threshold. This had been the first room she had seen in this mansion, but it looked nothing at all like she had originally seen it. A Christmas tree, over 20 feet in height, towered over them on one corner of the rug. The furniture had been rearranged to accommodate it and was also set up for a perfect view of the lavishly decorated tree.
Gifts, seemingly hundreds of them, flowed out from under the
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tree like water from an overflowing brook. Nearly all the family had gathered, talking and drinking coffee or tea, and those not yet there were arriving fast.
Rand, Chelsea, Brandon, Foster, Heather, Dexter, Miles, Diane, and Louise were all waiting within. Sunny's brother Douglas, his wife, Marian, and their four children, Harlan, Lance, Grace, and James had arrived late the night before and were just coming in behind Sunny and Holly.
Douglas had fallen in love with his little sister as quickly as his other siblings, and he was the first one to hug Sunny and wish her a happy Christmas. She was ushered along in some confusion and wonder until she found herself next to Rand and Miles. A cup of hot cocoa was pressed into her hands. As Sunny sipped it, she let her eyes take in the wonderful scene as her mouth tasted the delicious, sweet liquid.
To add to the festive air, evergreen garlands were hung around the mantel and over all the doors and windows. A fire crackled in both hearths, and the glossy fabric of the chairs and settees reflected the lights of the many lamps set about the room. Holly had been right; part of the fun was the dark outside.
Sunny sipped from her cup and snuggled back into the davenport, her eyes taking in tree decorations that ranged from cut-glass baubles to carved wooden animals.
Sunny suddenly noticed that everyone seemed to know where they belonged. As if by magic, seats were taken and quiet descended. Rand rose from Sunny's side and went to stand before the group.
"It's a pleasure to stand before you each year and give thanks for all that God has given us, but I think you'll all agree thatthisChristmas far outweighs anything this family has ever experienced."
Sunny immediately found herself the center of attention. Eyes turned to her and everyone was smiling; Sunny even saw some tears. Rand went on to speak of other things for which they were thankful, but after the attention shifted from her, Sunny didn't hear most of what he said.
Rand's departure from the davenport left her sitting alone with Miles, and as usual he made her nervous. She was certain he didn't like her. He would stare at her, but then turn away the moment she looked at him. He hadn't said more than ten words to her since she arrived, and she decided he thought of her as an intruder. Holly had told her that Miles was home for only a week at Christmas before he
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had to be back at school. He obviously didn't care for her being here, encroaching on his time with his family.
Sunny was not left to brood on this for very long because Rand was now finished speaking and Foster was taking his place. Foster was evidently the official gift-giver, and suddenly Sunny knew why Holly had been so excited. It was a thrill to watch the younger children, from 11-year-old Harlan to five-year-old James, go up en masse to receive their gifts with many squeals of delight, hugs, and thanks.
Things were just settling down when a gift was pressed into Sunny's hands, and then another, and another. She stared at her lap as if in a trance and then around the room to see that all the adults were receiving gifts. Rand had been watching her carefully, completely prepared for her reaction. She turned to him, her face very composed, and spoke softly.
**I don't have gifts for anyone."
"Of course you don't," he spoke easily. "You didn't have time to shop. But what you must understand, my sweet little sister, is thatyouare your gift to us." Rand paused to let her take this in.
"There isn't anything more precious to us than your presence this year. Next year, you'll know us better and have time
to shop."
His words were just what she needed to hear, and a tremendous weight lifted from her heart. She glanced down at the packages in her lap and then at Miles. That he had been listening to every word was quite clear, and some of Sunny's joy deserted her as she steeled herself for some angry remark or glare.
To her surprise and Miles' credit, he smiled at her, a sincere smile that carried a good deal of tenderness. Sunny returned the smile, thinking that it would be nice to be friends with Miles and wondering if there just might be a chance.
Rand's thoughts ran along the same vein. He had noticed very soon after Sunny's arrival that Miles was taken with his aunt. He couldn't blame him. Sunny was lovely, and Miles was at an age where females were one of the most fascinating things in his world. The fact that he saw only boys at school only added to the attraction.
He was dose to his mother and his sister, so for the most part Miles was relaxed around women and girls, but he had obviously never come across someone with whom his heart did battle. The fact that she was his aunt did not, at least for the moment, seem to make any difference. Miles, with his good looks and fun-loving personality,
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was quite popular. Sunny didn't look at him with calf's eyes, and this probably added to the fascination.
"You haven't opened a single gift.** Brandon's voice broke into both Rand's and Sunny's thoughts.
"Oh, I guess I haven't," Sunny spoke with surprise. Miles shifted over, and Brandon joined the three of them on the long davenport.
Sunny's fingers shook a little as she opened the first gift. It was a tiny cologne bottle from. Douglas and family. Sunny was so taken with it she forgot the rest of her gifts. Not until Rand urged her to finish did she again notice the other presents.
Rand and family gave her a lovely broach and a ring to match. The ring was a perfect fit, and Sunny slid it onto her small finger with tremendous delight. From Brandon she received a riding crop, and from Dexter and Judith a beautiful pair of calfskin gloves.
Foster and Heather gave Sunny a book. It was again on English history, but different from the one she had in London. They also gave her a miniature of her mother. Sunny was so captivated by the tiny portrait she said nothing tor many minutes. The family that had gathered around her moved away, giving her a moment to herself.